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Dispatches 9/8/2000:
In
Namche Bazar
The
SI.MOBIL Extreme Ski Everest 2000 today arrived at
Namche Bazar. All the cargo is also already at
Siangboche, the helicopter landing-place above Namche
Bazar.
After
five hours' gentle trek, ten members of the team today
reached Namche Bazar (3,420m), the biggest settlement
in the Solo Khumbu region. After it had drizzled
throughout the walk, nasty fog lay over the town after
we came to Namche Bazar.
Having
settled at the lodge inappropriately named Panorama,
we went to the Siangboche (lying 300m higher) to check
the cargo; this also served as the first adjustment to
thinner air at a higher altitude.
Tomorrow,
the expedition will stay at Namche Bazar to find
porters for the rest of the journey towards the base
camp, some five days' porter walk from Namche Bazar.
Tardivel
skied from 8,600m
The
name of Pierre Tardivel is often mentioned in
connection with skiing Everest. In the autumn of 1992,
Tardivel skied from the south summit of Everest, some
100m below the main summit (8,848m).
Today
it turned out that our sirdar, Ang Dorje Sherpa, who
so far summited Everest six times, accompanied the
French skier in 1992. Ang Dorje said that Tardivel in
fact skied from 8600 meters, which is 200 lower than
thought so far.
Dispatches 9/10/2000:
Ready
to move on
Here
in Namche Bazar, all the load, the porters and the
yaks are ready to set for Thangboche tomorrow morning,
the next stop on our way to the base camp.
There
is a five hours' walk to Thangboche, a lodge
settlement lying in the shadow of the greatest
Buddhist monastery in the Solo Khumbu region (at an
altitude of around 3,800m).
The
members of the expedition spent this morning at the
Saturday Namche Bazar fair. Among the visitors were
also Tibetan traders who have to pass Nangpa La
(5,700m) to reach Namche Bazar. The whole event
resembles a Gypsy-style bazar offering everything from
butter to lipstick. Unwelcome guest at the fair was
the rain which soon visited the venue.
Idleness
was interrupted by our sirdar, Ang
Dorje, who sent us to bring kerosene form the
"centre" of Namche Bazar, some 200m below
our Panorama lodge. Each member of the expedition
carried 80 liters of fuel, a rare and funny sight for
the locals who seldom see a white Sherpa.
The
weather has not changed - rainy and foggy.
All
together again
The
last member of the expedition joined the team in
Namche Bazar. Together with him, the missing
communications equipment arrived.
Andrej
Kmet, who waited in Kathmandu for the missing
backpacks with the communications equipment, arrived
at Namche Bazar this morning by helicopter from
Kathmandu. The backpacks were found at the airport of
Ljubljana, Slovenia.
[Editorial
Note: This is the same Ang Dorje Sherpa
EverestNews.com covered in Spring 2000, and that
assisted Byron Smith on his Summit Bid. Ang Dorje Sherpa, is of course, also the
same climber who worked for Adventure Consultants this
Spring 2000 on Everest, and for many years on
Everest...]
Dispatches (4) 9/11/2000:
End
of the monsoon?
Hiking
towards the base camp for the fifth day, we were today
for the first time greeted by sunshine. Dry weather
persisted throughout the day.
The
expedition today left Deboche to set for Periche, a
lodge settlement at an altitude of 4,200m. The sky
this morning was crystal clear, offering views towards
the nearest Himalayan peaks Ama Dablam, Kang Tega and
for the first time also Everest, the only peak rising
above the mighty Lhotse and its south face.
We
made a stop during the hike at Pangboche, the village
in which our sirdar Ang Dorje was born. Ang Dorje organized
a concecration ceremony for the benefit of the
expedition, performed by the local lama.
After
settling at the lodge at Periche, all members of the
expedition ascended further 300 height meters to
continue the acclimatisation process. Tomorrow, the
expedition will stay at Periche, to set for Lobuche
the day after tomorrow (our last stop before reaching
the base camp). We expect to arrive at the base camp
on 14 September.
Everest
1979
A
tub belonging to a Yugoslav expedition from 1979 found
in a lodge near Periche.
Over
twenty years have passed since the Yugoslav expedition
to Everest in 1979, an expedition which mainly
consisted of Slovenian mountaineers. Yet here and
there traces are still left behind! Thus in the
kitchen of a lodge at Periche a tub was found in which
cargo is stored. The tub was well preserved and so was
the label "Aero Yugoslav Everest
Expedition".
Expedition
reached Deboche
All
members of the expedition today reached Deboche, the
next stop on the way to the base camp below Everest.
Deboche
(3,771m) is a small lodge settlement close to
Tiangboche, the greatest and wealthiest monastery of
the Solo Khumbu region. Not surprisingly, slight rain
was again our companion during the hike, and the fog
prevented us from seeing Everest which should be
visible by now. After settling at the lodge named
after Ama Dablam (6,828m), one of the most beautiful
and well known Nepalese mountains, we for the first
time ascended to an altitude exceeding 4,000m, acclimatizing
to the life at the base camp below Everest. Tomorrow
we continue towards Periche (4,280m).
Russian
mountain rescuers set up camp I
The
Russian mountain rescue team attempting to climb a new
route in the Lhotse south face set up their first
camp. Their next step is hindered by bad weather with
plenty of snow and high risk of avalanches.
As
we have already reported, an extensive team of
professional Russian mountain rescuers tackled a new
route in the Lhotse south face, aiming at traversing
the crest to Lhotse Shar on the one side and the
principal summit on the other side. In the lodge by
the Tiangboche monastery, the Slovenian team met
Vladimir Lokyanoff of the Russian team who told us
that camp I at an altitude of 6,000m has been set up,
and that further attempts are hindered by bad weather,
snow and avalanches.
Lokyanoff
explained that the team consists of 15 mountaineers
who plan to divide into two groups after climbing the
face and reaching the crest. One group is to traverse
towards the right side and reach Lhotse Shar, while
the other group is to reach the main summit of the 4th
highest mountain in the world via the so far
unconquered central or western crest.
Today's
Dispatches (2) 9/12/2000:
USD
4000 for the Icefall
USD
4000 per expedition for Icefall maintenance.
We
were unpleasantly surprised at the news that this year
each expedition has to contribute USD 4000 to the
Nepalese "Icefall engineers" (the Icefall is
a glacier above the base camp). We counted on paying
USD 1400 (USD 200 per mountaineer to cross the
Icefall).
The
explanation for the high sum lies in the small number
of expeditions this autumn staying at the base camp
under the south side of Everest and Lhotse. Full costs
of equipping the Icefall total USD 20,000, which have
to be divided this autumn among five expeditions.
The
SI.MOBIL Extreme Ski Everest 2000 is thanking the
Wilderness Experience agency which advanced the money.
Boulders
at 4,600m
Challenging
boulders encountered during descent while acclimatizing.
Slovenian
sports climbers, especially those fond of boulder
climbing, would definitely envy the boulders across
which we came at an altitude of 4,600m above Periche.
The temptation couldn't be resisted we climbed a few
problems. We didn't mark any though, since we were not
properly equipped, and thin air is a factor here two.
The marking was left to Slovenian boulder lovers, who
will definitely flood to these places once they find
out what an abundance of huge rocks is waiting for
them over here. None of them climbed so far!
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